Confessions of a Model Booker

Listen in as an agent dishes the cutthroat, so-bitchy stuff that goes down in the beautiful-people business. Hold on — this could get ugly.

\nYou hear about models being discovered while they're walking down the street, and trust me, it happens. I know because I'm a guy whose job it is to pluck people from obscurity and turn them into stars. Everyone thinks modeling is a glamorous business...and it is. But things can get crazy. In the six years I've been a model agent, I've seen it all — backstabbing, diva demands, drug problems, and more. Since I can't damage my models' reps by talking publicly about them, I have to get it all off my chest by telling these anonymous tales.

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Getting Started

When I was in my early 20s, I quit my job as a fashion illustrator in New York City, moved to Miami, and soon became a model agent. Basically, an agent's job is to discover and groom models. I guess I had a knack for it, because after two years, I was hired to work at one of the top agencies in town. We represent about 100 girls and 30 guys (stars and up-and-comers), and of the 200 or so pictures I receive each day from aspiring models around the world, I call about two a month. If I truly believe the guy or girl could be the next big thing, the agency will fly them in and arrange a professional photo shoot.

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But I've discovered some of the best models when I wasn't even looking. Once I was eating at an outdoor restaurant and spotted this tall, beautiful 13-year-old girl walk by with her parents and some friends. I pulled the girl and her mom aside and explained that she had the potential to be a great model, and they could come in to the agency and talk to us (I say us so people don't think I'm some random creep) if they were interested. Another time, I was at the beach and noticed that a male lifeguard was gorgeous. Both of those finds are going to be successful — I just know it.

Babysitting the Babes

The majority of the models I represent
are between 14 and 25 years old. Some
of the really young girls stay in their
hometowns and travel to castings or
shoots. The ones who are 18 or older
usually move down here, and we put
them up in "model apartments," which
are typically nice two-bedroom units
that we rent for four or five models to
share. You can imagine the catfights
that erupt in those close quarters. Since
I'm under 30, the girls can relate to me,
so they end up calling me to complain,
and then I have to mediate.

I'm astounded by the lengths they'll
go to to get a leg up on the next girl. One
tactic: sleeping with each other's boyfriends.
It's like You may have gotten
that magazine cover over me, but I got
your man. The weirdest complaint I've
received was from a girl accusing another
girl of stealing her underwear. And I've
gotten that more than once.

My biggest problem, though, is reining
in my models when it comes to
partying. All of us get invited to the
hottest clubs and parties in South
Beach every night. But
some of them get
caught up in
the scene and
develop drug
and alcohol
problems. The
other day, I
had a girl show
up to a shoot two
hours late after being out all night. I heard that she was still
drunk and drugged out and she stunk
of booze. Then she had the nerve to tell
the client that she was late because we
never gave her a call sheet (a detailed
itinerary), which was a lie.

Usually I cover for my models, but
once, I just lost it on a guy. I had booked
him to do a prestigious jeans campaign,
and they were flying him to Greece to
shoot it. At 6 a.m. on the morning of the
shoot, I got a call from the client asking
where the hell my model was. I heard
he was out drinking the night before, so
I drove to his house and literally kicked
down his bedroom door. He was asleep,
and I was so mad, I picked up his portfolio
and threw it on the floor.

Diva Demands

Even though models like to party, most
of them are professionals and work
incredibly hard. But some of them turn
into divas once they get a taste of fame
and fortune. Recently, I booked this girl
on a $75,000 ad campaign, and she told
me she didn't feel like doing it because
she wanted to go on vacation. I was
pissed! I said, "I've worked so hard to
develop your career and get you to a
point where I can demand these rates
for you. How dare you not get on that
plane!" A year ago, she would have
given her right arm to have gotten any
job—let alone one that big.

They also think they can get away with
murder just because their faces are plastered
across a few magazines. Perfect
example: We were all out one night,
when one of my models started dancing
on the table and spilling everyone's
drinks. People told her to get down, and
she got so self-righteous that she kicked
someone in the face! She was shocked
when security threw her out.

The Skinny on Eating Disorders

The notion that all models have eating
disorders is exaggerated, though it happens,
and I believe it's my responsibility
to help when I see girls starving
themselves. I have a model now who
has a huge fashion campaign. I was
inspired by her wholesome '80s-supermodel
beauty, but our clients thought
she was overweight (she was 5 feet10
inches with 38-inch hips). So she started
eating very little and developed an eating
disorder. One day, she broke down
crying to me and said, "I'm just not built
this way. I can't do this." I helped get
her on a nutritious eating plan and now
she's what I call healthy thin.

Sadly, eating disorders ruin some
girls' careers. I had one model from
Nova Scotia who seemed never to eat,
but she kept gaining weight. Finally,
her roommate confessed to me that she
was bingeing on cookies and ice cream
in the middle of the night. She ended
up leaving the company.

Rolling in the Dough

I grew up in working-class Brooklyn,
and now I'm one of the highest-paid
agents in Miami, so I know what it's like
to come from nothing and suddenly
have money. Maybe that's why I get so
upset when I see models spending
recklessly. I had one guy make $35,000
doing a fashion campaign and then
drop that fat check on a watch. Then
he came to me crying poor! And get
this: Some models don't know they
have to file tax returns! I've seen girls
not pay them for a few years and get hit
with $40,000 or $50,000 IRS bills. So
many models get audited.

But despite these annoyances, there
are some very rewarding aspects to my
job. I love when I can guide someone
into making smart business decisions
that can help them or their families.
Recently, I was able to book a girl from
the Czech Republic on her first job.
She made enough money to buy her
mom a washer and dryer, and her mom
called me crying to thank me. I'm in
this business to make money for myself,
but it also feels good to be able to make
it for people who really value it.

How to Break into Modeling

These six facts will safeguard you from getting scammed.

You don't need a fancy portfolio. If an agency takes you on, it will create one for you.

To get a good agent, email three snapshots of yourself (one smiling head shot, one nonsmiling head shot, and a full-length bathing-suit shot), plus your measurements, to well-known agencies.

The top firms are in New York City: Ford, IMG, DNA, One, Women, Click, and Elite. There are dozens of legit smaller agencies that book big jobs, but just do your research to make sure they're reputable.

Modeling schools are not necessary; most won't help you get your foot in the door.

A good personality goes a long way. Nice models often get hired over more beautiful girls who aren't as pleasant.

You need to be at least 5 feet 8 inches, slim (ideal measurements are 34-24-34), and preferably under 20.